Xerochrysum plant named ‘Bonxer 1639’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Xerochrysum plant named ‘Bonier 1639’, characterized by its upright, mounding and uniform plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; relatively large inflorescences with bright yellow-colored involucral bracts; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Xerochrysum bracteatum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONXER 1639’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofXerochrysum plant, botanically known as Xerochrysum bracteatum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonier 1639’.

The new Xerochrysum plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventors in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia.The objective of the breeding program is to create and develop newupright Xerochrysum cultivars with upright and uniformly mounded planthabit, freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescences andinflorescence buds.

The new Xerochrysum plant originated from a cross-pollination by theInventors on Sep. 16, 2015 of a proprietary selection of Xerochrysumbracteatum identified as code number 14-8, not patented, as the female,or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Xerochrysum bracteatumidentified as code number 14-76, not patented, as the male, or pollen,parent. The new Xerochrysum plant was discovered and selected by theInventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock,New South Wales, Australia on Aug. 1, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Xerochrysum plant by terminal cuttingsin a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales,Australia since August, 2016, has shown that the unique features of thisnew Xerochrysum plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Xerochrysum have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental and cultural conditions. The phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature andlight intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Bonier 1639’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Bonier 1639’ as a new and distinct Xerochrysumplant:

-   -   1. Upright, mounding and uniform plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Relatively large inflorescences with bright yellow-colored        involucral bracts.    -   5. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the        foliar plane.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Xerochrysum differprimarily from plants of the female parent selection in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Leaf margins of plants of the new Xerochrysum are more        undulate than leaf margins of plants of the female parent        selection.    -   2. Inflorescence buds of plants of the new Xerochrysum are more        orange in color and not as yellow as inflorescence buds of        plants of the female parent selection.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Xerochrysum differprimarily from plants of the male parent selection in involucral bractcolor as plants of the new Xerochrysum have yellow-colored involucralbracts whereas plants of the male parent selection have red-coloredinvolucral bracts.

Plants of the new Xerochrysum can be compared to plants of theBracteantha bracteata ‘Bonxero 148’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.30,398. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Xerochrysumdiffer primarily from plants of ‘Bonxero 148’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Xerochrysum are broader than plants of        ‘Bonxero 148’.    -   2. Plants of the new Xerochrysum are more freely branching than        plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.    -   3. Leaf margins of plants of the new Xerochrysum are more        undulate than leaf margins of plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.    -   4. Plants of the new Xerochrysum are more freely flowering than        plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.    -   5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Xerochrysum have darker        yellow-colored involucral bracts than inflorescences of plants        of ‘Bonxero 148’.    -   6. Inflorescences of plants of the new Xerochrysum have darker        orange-colored disc florets than inflorescences of plants of        ‘Bonxero 148’.    -   7. Plants of the new Xerochrysum have shorter peduncles than        plants of ‘Bonxero 148’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Xerochrysum plant. These photographs show the colors as true as itis reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Xerochrysum plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet (FIG. 1 ) is a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonier 1639’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet (FIG. 2 ) is a close-up viewof a typical inflorescence of ‘Bonier 1639’. In this photograph, thereceptacle is noticeable in between the bracts.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown during the early summer in 24-cmcontainers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and underconditions and practices which approximate those generally used incommercial Xerochrysum production. During the production of the plants,day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night averaged 13° C. Measurementsand numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.Plants were four months old when the photographs were taken and fivemonths old when the detailed description was taken. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Xerochrysum bracteatum ‘Bonier 1639’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Xerochrysum bracteatum identified as code number 14-8, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Xerochrysum bracteatum identified as code number 14-76, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at            temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at            temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About three weeks            at temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About four weeks            at temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual            color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,            water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate            temperature and physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright, mounding and uniform            plant habit with inflorescences held above the foliage on            strong peduncles; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 45 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 63 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit            with about eleven lateral branches per plant. Length: About            15.6 cm. Diameter: About 4.7 mm. Internode length: About            2.5 cm. Aspect: Upright to somewhat outwardly. Strength:            Strong. Texture: Rough, sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to            138A.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple; sessile.            Length: About 9 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm. Shape: Linear.            Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; slightly            undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Rough,            glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color:            Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A. Developing            leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully expanded leaves,            upper surface: Close to NN137A; venation, close to 144B.            Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A;            venation, close to 145A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Terminal double-type inflorescence form with            narrowly deltoid to lanceolate involucral bracts; involucral            bracts and disc florets developing acropetally on a            capitulum; inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane            on strong peduncles; inflorescences face mostly upright.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit; about 51            inflorescences develop per plant during the flowering            season.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Time to flower.—In Japan, plants begin to flower about 21            weeks after planting and in the garden, plants flower            continuously from the spring through the autumn.        -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good            substance for about seven to ten days on the plant;            inflorescences persistent.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About            1.3 cm. Shape: Ovoid with acute apex. Color: Distally, close            to N34A and proximally, close to 17B.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.2 cm. Depth (height):            About 2.4 cm. Disc diameter: About 3 cm. Disc height: About            1.7 cm.        -   Receptacles.—Diameter: About 2.6 cm. Height: About 6 mm.            Color: Close to 149D.        -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence and            arrangement: About 248 arranged in numerous whorls; bracts            imbricate. Length: About 2.3 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape:            Narrowly deltoid to lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base:            Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; papery. Orientation: Initially upright            becoming horizontal with development. Color: When opening            and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 13A and 1B. When            opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 3A and 1B.        -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement:            Numerous disc florets are spirally arranged in the center of            the receptacle. Length: About 7.3 mm. Diameter, distally:            About 0.6 mm. Diameter, proximally: About 0.5 mm. Shape:            Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed. Texture, inner and            outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When developing,            inner and outer surfaces: Close to 24A. Fully developed,            inner and outer surfaces: Close to 149D and towards the            apex, close to N25A to N25B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 8 cm. Diameter: About 3.3 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to somewhat outwardly.            Texture: Rough, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:            About five. Filament length: About 4.6 mm. Filament color:            Close to 157D. Anther size: About 1.8 mm by 0.8 mm. Anther            shape: Lanceolate. Anther color: Close to 23A. Pollen            amount: None observed. Gynoecium: Quantity per disc floret:            One. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted.            Stigma color: Close to 25B. Style color: Close to 157D.            Ovary color: Close to 155A.        -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production has not            been observed on plants of the new Xerochrysum.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Xerochrysum    have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Xerochrysum plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Xerochrysum have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about    35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Xerochrysum plant named ‘Bonier1639’ as illustrated and described.